7 Strategies to Maintaining Motivation Through Times of Uncertainty

You know how it goes by now. You create a goal for yourself that you want to accomplish. You start off fired up and prepared to take on the world, but a few months later you can’t be bothered to put in even a 10-minute effort to achieve it! While the past few years has cast a great deal of uncertainty upon us, and will continue to do so in the immediate future, what is certain is your inner power to persist. The following are seven proven strategies you can do to guarantee you stay motivated toward your goal. It is not always easy to swing from a sense of helplessness to exhilaration, but like many things, the more you attention you give to these strategies below the more you’ll be able to maintain a sense of motivation.

1. Is the size of your WHY sufficient?

Famed speaker Anthony Robbins says it well when he says; there are two motivators, desperation and inspiration. Some people find themselves in a situation where they are desperate, maybe it’s a health diagnosis, or a sudden job-loss, and through that desperation they become inspired to do what was previously unthinkable. Unfortunately, they had to experience the desperation first. Others find inspiration naturally. That inspiration comes through nature, relationships, personal connection, a sense of purpose, the accomplishments of others. Through the lens of gratitude and a growth mindset, these individuals find this inspiration as the catalyst to becoming and staying motivated. 

Where do you find yourself to be desperate? What inspires you? Identifying your WHY is the first step to perpetual motivation and long-term happiness. 

2. Construct an emotional and mental picture of what you desire.

Although putting your goals in writing might help you stay focused, it is not always sufficient. Writing down your objectives and picturing yourself achieving them both feed the motivating fire. The power of three will ensure your motivation stays high: writing objectives down, having a mental image of your achievment, and putting yourself in a state of mind where you can feel the emotions of achieving the goal. You may stop at any moment during the day or whenever you feel like you need some motivation by closing your eyes, seeing your objective, and invoking all the feelings that accomplishing that goal would bring. There is nothing more potent!

3. Before, during, and after questions to ask!

Knowing not just WHY you are doing something, but also WHAT, is crucial. What you and your family will receive if you succeed in accomplishing your objective. It is simple to think that what you desire is to earn a million dollars, but for many people, the lifestyle and freedom that this money may provide will serve as their true motivators.

Spend some time asking yourself the kinds of questions that will help you figure out the benefits of attaining your goals. 

• How would it benefit me?
• What will it accomplish for myself, my loved ones, or my friends?
• Will I be able to lead a certain lifestyle?
• How much of a sacrifice will I have to make?
• How would this affect my daily activities?
• How would this affect my family?
• What result do I hope to get?
• How will I be able to contribute?

We only truly lose motivation when we lose sight of our objective or end result. Motivation and keeping motivated are simple when you know what the accomplishment of your goal will bring for you.

4. Constructing a picture of what you desire.

Create a collage of your goals and aspirations with your family, or engage in any other creative activity that inspires you to finish it to stoke the flames of motivation. Whatever you create, keep it visible at all times. I recall hearing someone mention hanging post cards of their first overseas vacation destination on their bathroom mirror so that it would be one of the first things they saw each morning and on the final things on their minds as they went to bed.

Post reminders for yourself in your car, on the bathroom mirror, and on the door of your refrigerator. It is best if you can leave yourself small notes and reminders about your goals in as many locations as you can. This will support you in keeping motivated and focused on attaining your objective while also assisting your unconscious mind in bringing about the results you seek.

5. Seek out support from others in your area.

Although the support of family and friends is crucial, you should also think about other options for help. Books, mentorship, coworkers, life coaching, forums—all of these things may help you while you try to accomplish your objective. Consider WHO can help you stay motivated as well. Can you create an accountability partnership with someone? Do you have a supervisor or co-worker who will be pleased to assist you in hitting your goals?

 I personally feel that it’s very helpful to tell as many people as you can about what you want to do. By telling so many people, it sets in motion the internal need to act consistently with what we say and feel. A word of warning is necessary, though, as it is simple for others to crush your aspirations by casting doubt on your abilities and intentions. In addition to carefully selecting folks who you know will want to be your supporters, you must have the inner strength necessary to keep going in spite of any criticism you may get.

6. Build your inner fortitude.

You alone will ultimately decide whether you maintain motivation and accomplish your objective. Your ideas will influence your actions, which in turn will influence your outcomes. It’s crucial to cultivate a solid sense of inner confidence in your capacity for accomplishment and your capacity for inspiring yourself when you’re in an unproductive frame of mind. How you perceive life will depend on your capacity to see disappointment and failure as chances for further development and distress and emotional upheaval as chances to figure out what you want and need. Reading and listening to books and audios that inspire and encourage you is one of the best methods to develop your inner power. It’s crucial to keep studying if you want to maintain your motivation.

7. Assistance from Ongoing Education.

As cliché as it sounds, it’s true that you can’t grow with what you already know. There will undoubtedly be areas where you need to build knowledge, skills, and competencies to get where you want to go. Become aware of any areas where you need to hone your talents or delegate work to others who can provide what you need to get to your goal.

There is nothing more frustrating than making progress toward a goal only to be halted because you lack the information or abilities necessary to finish it. A lack of planning and self-reflection is sure to stifle your motivation and excitement. Before setting off towards your goal, determine your quit threshold. You know there will be days you feel “off”, there will be people who are cynical and question your motives. Just like preparing for a camping trip, you make a packing list for the environment your heading into. You’re planning ahead to prevent problems that may arise from being ill-prepared. By making your mental packing list of all the things that may cause you to think about quitting, you will be more resilient when those situation arise. If you are committed to improving both your professional and personal life, I advise engaging a mentor or life coach to keep you on track.

Regarding your own personal growth, you should also consider ongoing education. By investing in your own development, you may overcome obstacles swiftly and maintain your motivation. Enroll in an online masterclass, purchase an Audible membership, get your library card, or join an online community that coincides with your goal (training for a 10k, join a running group). 

Success ultimately depends on your ability to maintain motivation while working toward your objectives. I’ve given you seven realistic strategies for maintaining motivation, and I advise you to utilize them all. Some of them, like making a collage, are something you do periodically, while others, like maintaining your personal growth, are things you learn from doing all the time. Your ability to stay motivated will depend on a variety of factors; whatever factors work best for you will change depending on the task at hand and will require continual (fun-filled) discovery.

---

Did you find this content helpful? If you did, awesome! It helps me when you like or share this content, and hopefully in doing so it can impact someone else as well.

What I’ve shared above is great to get you started on the path to developing a deeper sense of motivation. However, like Zig Zigler says; “Some say that motivation doesn’t last, well neither does bathing which is why we recommend it daily”. A daily mindset on motivation is important- which is why I’m offering a bonus: 8 Simple Ways to Supercharge Your Motivation Every Day

Leave a comment below and let me know which of the 7 Strategies above resonates with you. After you’ve submitted your comment, I’ll send you 8 Simple Ways to Supercharge Your Motivation Every Day (PDF) as a “thank you”.

In Success- Devin